Joint Communique of People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

AT the invitation of Premier Chou En-lai of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the Mauritanian delegation led by His Excellency Moktar Ould Daddah, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, paid a state visit to the People's Republic of China from October 20 to October 24, 1967. The Chinese people's great leader Chairman Mao Tse-tung and his close comrade-in-arms Vice-Chairman Lin Piao met His Excellency President Moktar Ould Daddah and the other members of the delegation and had a cordial and friendly conversation with them. During its sojourn in China, the Mauritanian delegation led by President Moktar Ould Daddah visited a people's commune, a factory and a college and made friendly contacts with Chinese workers, peasants, revolutionary teachers and students and Red Guards who were carrying on the great proletarian cultural revolution victoriously. The delegation was accorded a warm welcome and grand reception by the Chinese Government and people. This fully manifested the profound friendship between the peoples of China and Mauritania. Talks were held between Premier Chou En-lai and President Moktar Ould Daddah. Also taking part in the talks on the Chinese side were Vice-Premier Li Fu-chun; responsible members of the departments concerned: Lin Hai-yun, Chi Peng-fci, Yang Lin, Lin Chao-nan, Tai Ping; and the Chinese Ambassador to Mauritania Lu Chih-hsien. Also taking part in the talks on the Mauritanian side were members of the Presidential delegation: Birane Mamadou Wane, Ahmed Ould Mohamed Salah, Moha-med Abdallahi Ould el Hassen, Fall Malick, Abdoul Aziz Sail, Moktar Ould Ilaiba, Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Kharchy, Hamoud Ould Abdel Weddoud, Mohamed Lemine Ould Liman and Moulaye el Hassen. The two sides had a frank exchange of views on the further development of the friendly relations and cooperation between China and Mauritania and on the present international situation and other questions. The talks proceeded in an atmosphere of cordiality, friendship and mutual trust. They noted with satisfaction that the friendly relations and co-operation between China and Mauritania were developing steadily after the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1965. They reviewed with satisfaction the progress in the implementation of the economic, trade and cultural agreements signed last February by the Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Planning H.E. Mr. Birane Mamadou Wane and the Chinese side, and decided to develop still further the relations of co-operation between the two countries in all fields. They deemed that the people of the two countries should support and help each other in the common struggle against imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. They unanimously expressed firm support for the heroic struggles to win national liberation waged by the peoples of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Guinea (Bissau), Angola, South Africa, as well as those of the other African countries still under colonial rule. They strongly condemned the policy of racial discrimination pursued by the colonial authorities in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia and also denounced racial discrimination existing in other parts of the world. They unanimously expressed staunch support for the struggle of the people of the Arab states to safeguard their sovereignty and territorial integrity against the aggression by U.S. and British imperialism and their tool Israel. They were firmly convinced that the people of the Arab states would surely win final victory. The two sides discussed the Vietnam question with concern. The Chinese side pointed out that U.S. imperialism is the sworn enemy of the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America, and the most ferocious enemy of the people of the whole world. In carrying on their war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation, the heroic Vietnamese people are extending an immense support and encouragement to the revolutionary people of the world. The Chinese Government and people resolutely support the Vietnamese people in carrying un their war against U.S. aggression and for national salvation till final victory. The United Slates and the Soviet Union and their followers are now hatching new "peace talks'' plots and attempting to intervene in the Vietnam question through (he instrumentality of the United Nations. This is absolutely impermissible. The Vietnam question must be settled by the Vietnamese people themselves. The Mauritanian side reaffirmed its firm support for the just struggle of the heroic Vietnamese people and sternly condemned the abominable crimes that had been committed and were still being committed by U.S. imperialism in Vietnam, and was firmly convinced that the Vietnamese people would surely win final victory. Premier Chou En-lai expressed support for the policy of non-alignment pursued by the Mauritanian Government and praised Mauritania's just stand in breaking off diplomatic relations first with Britain and then with the United States in order to support the peoples of Zimbabwe and the Arab states in their struggle against imperialism. The Mauritanian side reaffirmed its firm stand for the restoration of China's legitimate rights in the United Nations and the expulsion of the Chiang Kai-shek clique from that organization, and against all manoeuvres to create "two Chinas.1' Premier Chou En-lai expressed thanks for this on behalf of the Chinese Government. President Moktar Ould Daddah indicated that Mauritania was following with great sympathy the remarkable successes achieved by the Chinese people under the leadership of their wise, pre-eminent leader Chairman Mao Tse-tung. Ho wholeheartedly wished complete victory to China's unprecedented great proletarian cultural revolution. President Moktar Ould Daddah invited Premier Chou En-lai to pay a state visit to Mauritania at the head of a Chinese government delegation at a convenient time. Premier Chou En-lai accepted this invitation with pleasure. The date of the visit would be decided upon later through diplomatic channels. Both sides were firmly convinced that the state visit to China by President Moktar Ould Daddah and the delegation led by him greatly promoted the mutual understanding and trust between China and Mauritania and would contribute to the further consolidation and development of the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries as well as to the strengthening of the Afro-Asian peoples* cause of unity against imperialism. The President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania expressed deep thanks to the Chinese Government, Party and people for the exceptionally warm welcome and fraternal hospitality accorded to him and his delegation during their sojourn in China.